River Bend Transit’s QC•IC X-press currently provides “to the door” transportation, Tuesday through Friday, from Davenport to Iowa City. The service is fully accessible, open to the general public, and will soon be even better. On June 20, RBT will add a second daily run to make the service more attractive to work and University commuters, and the fare will be just $5 per trip in either direction. Executive Director, Randy Zobrist explains that these changes are being made in order to better accommodate the full range of people who could benefit from the service: “We know there are a lot of folks who travel between the Quad Cities and Iowa City on a regular basis for a number of reasons: school, employment, medical appointments and visits, to name a few. We listened, took the feedback received, and added another run to better accommodate commuters. We’re also slashing the cost to just $5, making it easy for people to see just how much they can save by taking the shuttle rather than driving (and parking) themselves.”
The QC•IC X-press shuttle currently departs from a Park & Ride location at the northeast corner of NorthPark Mall parking lot in the morning and returns in the afternoon daily, Tuesday through Friday. Ticket cost for the shuttle is currently $10 per trip; beginning June 20, 2017 ticket cost will be reduced to just $5 per trip. Children 5 and under continue to ride free at no charge with an adult. This express service is open to the general public.
The newer shuttle vehicles are fully accessible and equipped with FREE Wi-Fi. Riders can be dropped off anywhere in the general downtown Iowa City area, making the shuttle useful for a variety of purposes: employment commutes, day trips, friend/family visits, shopping, medical appointments, student commutes, etc. When the second run is added on June 20, riders will be able to go up and come back on whichever scheduled run they find most convenient. Benefits include cost savings, convenient “to-the-door” service, decreased stress, and increased safety. The shuttle is available to everyone, and destinations are individually arranged. While in Iowa City, the bus remains available to riders throughout the day at no additional charge for extra Iowa City area trips of choice, as time allows.
Supplemental funding for the QC-IC X-press is through an Iowa Clean Air Attainment Program (ICAAP) grant awarded to RBT in 2014. The award also enabled the agency to purchase three new buses for the route.
Walk-ons are welcome to board at the Park & Ride location if seating is available, however advance reservations are preferred and appreciated when possible. Reservations are made by calling River Bend Transit at: (563) 386-1350 OR toll free (800) 292-8959. Onboard payment options include cash (exact fare required), debit card, Visa, or MasterCard. Rides may be reserved for either a one-way or round trip, same day or in advance.
The shuttle will operate according to its original schedule up until June 20.
Current QC•IC X-press Schedule:
Tuesday –
8:00 AM Depart Davenport location; 9:30 AM Arrive Iowa City
4:00 PM Depart Iowa City; 5:00 PM Arrive Davenport location
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday –
6:30 AM Depart Davenport location; 8:00 AM Arrive Iowa City
4:00 PM Depart Iowa City; 5:00 PM Arrive Davenport location
Coming June 20 - QC•IC X-press Schedule:
Tuesday – Friday:
- § Bus #1 leaves QC @ 6:15 AM; final drop off in Iowa City by 7:45AM;
- Departs Iowa City @ 12:15 PM; arrive QC by 1:15 PM
- § Bus #2 leaves QC @ 11:45 AM; final drop off in Iowa City by 1:00 PM;
- Departs Iowa City @ 5:30 PM; arrive QC by 6:30 PM
- *Riders may choose whichever scheduled runs are most convenient